


Photograph

by Yviinfinite



Series: Sherlock Has Ruined My Life [42]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dad Sherlock, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Reader is sherlocks daughter, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 20:14:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14838453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yviinfinite/pseuds/Yviinfinite
Summary: Sherlock misses his daughter dearly. She misses him too.





	Photograph

**Author's Note:**

> Could you do a song fic for Sherlock x daughter!reader based on the song Photograph by Ed Sheeran, please? Also, thank you for being awesome! :)

_**Loving can hurt** _

Sherlock stared at the wall. He was bored, but not in the usual way. He felt lonely.

_**Loving can hurt sometimes** _

His eyes fell onto a picture on the wall. He had looked at it so many times, again and again thinking about what he did wrong. His daughter was gone, most like not even remembering what he looked like.

_**But it’s the only thing that I know.** _

He closed his eyes, letting himself into his mind palace. At least there he felt like he was still with you.

_**And when it gets hard** _

You closed your eyes, blocking out the sound of the banging on your door. Your step father had become furious with you. Only because you deduced that his marriage with your mother was falling apart. You could tell she still loved your father to some degree. She always did say you looked like him.

_**You know it can get hard sometimes** _

You clutched the pendant on your necklace. It contained the picture of your father. You sometimes saw his face on the news. Your memories of him were mostly fuzzy, but you remembered loving him unconditionally.

_**It is the only thing that makes us feel alive** _

One day you were going to visit him. Maybe he’d even let you live with him. You hoped he still loved you.

_**We keep this love in a photograph** _

Sherlock had liked the woman, loved her, even. But he became too much for her, their daughter too young to lose her father, as she said. He remembered her, and he remembered you. The day you were born, when he first held you in his arms, he promised himself to never let you go. But he did.

_**We make these memories for ourselves** _

He remembered holding you on his hip, showing you everything around you. You had been such a lively child, but so, so smart. You were going to be like him, he knew, but he wasn’t sure whether he was scared or proud.

_**Where our eyes are never closing** _

His thumb traced over the still child on the picture. He smiled.

_**Hearts are never broken** _

The fight with your mother had been severe. His emotions had lain bare, his fear of losing you overtaking his rationality. But she had left, and she had taken you with her.

_**And time’s forever frozen still.** _

He wished he could have been better, wished he could have at least said goodbye. He missed his daughter so terribly.

_**So you can keep me** _

You stumbled back, shocked expression turning to your step father in the door to your home. Your mother stood behind him, not trying to push past, to get to you. Not like he would let her.

_**Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans** _

He had ripped off your necklace in a fit of rage. You had barely the time to pick it up and put it in your pocket before he literally threw you out. The only other things you had were your phone, a jacket and your purse.

_**Holdin’ me closer ‘till our eyes meet** _

You flinched at the loud bang the door caused when it slammed shut. What were you supposed to do now?

_**You won’t ever be alone** _

The necklace felt as if it burned in your pocket. The face of your father reminded you of your dream. You knew where he lived, yet you never had the courage to visit him.

_**Wait for me to come home.** _

That changed now.

_**Loving can heal** _

Sherlock was confused when somebody knocked on the door. Mrs. Hudson wasn’t supposed to be back until later in the evening, and John had left for a date, but he had his keys with him.

_**Loving can mend your soul** _

He hesitated before the door, but something in him screamed at him to open the door. So he did.

_**And it’s the only thing that I know** _

There you stood, almost twelve year after he had last seen you. His breath got stuck in his throat as he gazed at your uncertain form. You looked tired, exhausted even. And just by looking at you he knew that the reason for the visit wasn’t entirely pleasant.

_**I swear it will get easier** _

He reached out, hesitantly. What was he supposed to do? Smile at you? Cry? Hold you tight and never let you go again? All the thoughts got pushed out of his head when your small form melted into his. How you said 'dad’ would forever echo in his mind.

_**Remember that with every piece of ya** _

He returned the embrace, barely noticing how his shirt went wet with your tears. He whispered your name back with the same amount of emotion.

_**And it’s the only thing we take with us when we die** _

Again, he promised himself to never let go of you again. And this time, he was going to keep his promise.

_**We keep this love in a photograph** _

You stayed in his arms for the entirety of the evening, breathlessly telling him how you got there, how scared you were he didn’t want you any more.

_**We make these memories for ourselves** _

All the while, he just held you more tightly. He reassured you that he loved you, always had, and always will.

_**Where our eyes are never closing** _

And even if you were going away again, he at least had the chance to meet you again. He could even get your phone number and stay in contact with you.

_**Our hearts were never broken** _

When you fell asleep on his chest, it was just like it had been. You were still so small in comparison to him, but he wasn’t afraid to break you.

_**And time’s forever frozen still.** _

He let a single tear fall down his cheek before he kissed you on your forehead, sleep claiming him as well. It was one of the first times he slept without needing to since your mother left with you.

_**So you can keep me** _

The next morning, John woke you up, very confused about the appearance of a 15-year-old girl in their flat. Your dad told him everything, and at that moment you knew that your fathers best friend was a kind man.

_**Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans** _

Not only had you found the pendant, you had also kept it all these years.

_**Holdin’ me closer till our eyes meet** _

Every night, you spent with your father. Probably to make up for lost time. You didn’t know if you would ever forgive your mother for taking you away from him, even if she had her reasons.

_**You won’t ever be alone** _

You would make sure your dad wouldn’t be so lonely any more.

_**And if you hurt me** _

Of course, it wasn’t perfect. You still fought from time to time, and Sherlock had to put his foot down several times in the few weeks you had lived with him.

_**Well that’s okay baby only words bleed** _

But you never said mean things to him. They wouldn’t just hurt him, but you a well, and you were smarter than to hurt the one person you’ve been wanting to meet for your whole life.

_**Inside these pages you just hold me** _

John had taken several pictures of you together. 'To remember the nice time’, he had said. You could never know when your mother decided to bring you back home. You had her send you copies of photo albums from home where pretty much your entire life had been documented. Your dad had thanked you, pulling you in a tight hug.

_**And I won’t ever let you go** _

_**Wait for me to come home** _   
_**Wait for me to come home** _   
_**Wait for me to come home** _   
_**Wait for me to come home** _

_**Oh you can fit me inside the necklace you got when you were 16** _

It was on your birthday that your mother decided to show up. She wanted to drag you back home, and even had a restraining order against your father. The goodbye was teary eyed, but he promised he would fix it. He had gotten you a new necklace, a picture of John, himself and you inside.

_**Next to your heartbeat** _

He wouldn’t let this happen again. Even if Sherlock didn’t like asking his brother for favours very much, he needed this, needed you.

_**Where I should be** _

Sherlock could not let you live with the abuse your step father had put you through, only because you were smarter than that prick in each and every way. And your mother - she couldn’t leave him, having gone through too much heartbreak.

_**Keep it deep within your soul** _

And you promised your mother that you would never forgive her.

_**And if you hurt me, well that’s okay baby only words bleed** _

From that point on, you only fought with your mother and step-father. You texted Sherlock constantly, and he kept telling you it would be okay, you only needed to hold on a little longer. He was doing everything he could.

_**Inside these pages you just hold me** _

In the time apart from your dad, you looked through the pictures you had taken again and again, wishing you were back there. Your mother now locked you in your room at night, and whenever she or your step-father weren’t home to supervise you.

_**And I won’t ever let you go** _

You just wanted to go back to your dad.

_**When I’m away I will remember how you kissed me** _

It was an accident when you glanced out of the window during dinner. Three men were standing a few yards away, two in black coats and one in a tan one. The silhouettes seemed familiar, but before you could identify them the doorbell rang.

_**Under the lamppost** _

Confused, your mother and step-father went to the door. As soon as you heard it open, your mother let out a startled gasp.

“We have collected evidence that you’re abusing your daughter verbally, been locking her up and that you took her from her father against her will. Is that true?” It was a male voice, but you didn’t know him. You rushed into the hallway, staring at the two police officers and a woman in some kind of suit.

“No, of course not! Why would we do that, she’s our daughter!” The woman didn’t seem to buy it and looked at you, a kind smile on her face. It was then you realized she was from a youth welfare of some sort.

_**Back on 6th street** _

“They do”, you said curtly, for once not shrinking under the glare sent your way. “He threw me out, she didn’t do anything. I went to my dad, and he took me in. On my birthday she came and took me back. She has a restraining order for my dad.”

“Do you want to go back to your dad?”, she then asked, laying a protective hand on your shoulder as the police officers brought your parents to their car. You nodded. “Then go pack our things. He’s waiting for you.

_**Hearing you whisper through the phone** _

You never packed faster than this, stuffing things into your suitcase before running back to the lady. She went outside with you, pointing down the street where you had seen the three silhouettes before.

_**Wait for me to come home** _

Then you saw him, closer than before. You ran, suitcase left in the yard of your old house. You jumped at him, arm weaving behind his neck. He caught you, of course he caught you, holding you tightly and whispering reassurance. He had promised himself to never let you go again, and this time, he had kept it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can check out my tumblr @Yviinfinite if you want to send in a request! :D


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